Dr. Wayne Caputo: Revolutionizing Treatment of Ulcers

Dr. Wayne Caputo is the director of wound care at Mass Medical Center. His use of tenotomies to treat ulcers is expediting the healing process and changing lives.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

My name is Wayne Caputo. I’m the director of the wound care center at Mass Medical Center which is just through the Lincoln Tunnel and down the street from here.

Why did you decide to become a doctor?

I had a lot of people in the family as a young child who were sick. There was a lot to do with the medical community, so I had a prototype in mind.

What are you presenting about this weekend?

I’m presenting a paper which is the largest study to date – the largest study in the world – on diabetic heel ulcers and forefoot ulcers and Achilles tendon tenotomies.

How does this impact the medical world?

Hopefully the tenotomy, which is an easy procedure to do, will allow more of the plantar ulcers—bottom of the foot ulcers—to heal better.

What’s changed for this in recent years?

In recent years we’ve been doing very sophisticated and very lengthy procedures. This is a very fast procedure and I believe that the results are significant.

What do you think is going to change in the next five to ten years?

I believe that this particular paper is a game changer. People are going to stop doing these time consuming procedures which are more sophisticated and go to the simpler procedure.

What do you think is most important for people to know about this?

This is a procedure that can be done without general anesthesia, can be done without disability, and can help you to heal your ulcer faster.

Do you have any specific patient stories about this?

We have quite a few patients. In fact, we just did one in the office before I left, and the results are significant. People say, “I can’t believe it’s over.”

What advice do you give to patients?

Take care of your diabetes. The most important thing is take care of your diabetes. Try to prevent the complications. Let’s not deal with the complications; let’s try to prevent the complications. Take care of yourself. Diet, exercise, follow your doctor’s orders. Be compliant. Do what you’re supposed to do.

What else would you like to tell me about this?

A simple procedure can save a long period of time in the hospital. If you take care of yourself and avoid the complications, you’ll definitely be better off. If you know anybody with diabetes, young people with diabetes, tell them to take care of their diabetes. Avoid the complications.

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